Julio Garcia

Gallery Affiliations: J Costello Gallery

Region: South

The ideas and concepts that are represented in my work are fueled by experiences and observations in my daily life. I am most inspired by the simplest of these details and moments. It is this awareness that has always caused my work to be created abstractly. My imagery and mark making obscure the obvious and give the work a spiritual presence. My focus has always been in the various types of printing. I began with screen printing, which led to the study of traditional printmaking methods, such as etching, monotype, and lithography. As the work evolved, I realized the endless possibilities for exploration in these mediums. The simple act of making a mark on a surface became central to my work. The idea that the lines and scratches I created beccame permanent really interested me. I began to search for different ways to create lines, shapes, and textures on a surface.

In recent works, I have continued on with some elements of printmaking, only I have deleted the second half of the process-the reproduction of the image.I began these pieces by marking on large sheets of synthetic surfaces, which I then washed with ink and paint to bring out the lines. I created depth by removing the pigment in certain parts. I continued to add and subtract thin layers until I felt comfortable enough to walk away from the piece. Much of the time I will carry a subject matter into three or four pieces until it is resolved, which will often give me more than one piece with the same title. I do not consider any of my works finished; they are all studies of something that will take a lifetime to learn.